Knurler mechanism for cigar machines



'Hummm S. CLAUSEN KNURLER umol-IANISM FORCIGAR MAGIHNES Filed July 19, 1938 Dec. 9,1941.

Patented Dec. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES rafralsn` ori-"ICE,

KNURLER MECHANISM Foa crean MACHINES l Sigurd Clausen, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey L Appiicatifm July 19,1938, serial No. 219,950

9 Claims.

This invention relates to cigar machines, especially to a cigar nishing unit, and more particularly to knurler operating mechanism for such a unit as that disclosed in the co-pending application of Henry H. Wheeler, Serial No. 189,300, upon certain features of which the present invention is to be regarded as an improvement or development.

In a cigar machine having such' a unit, provision is made for knurling by movement of the knurler against an end of the cigar, both to 1ocate the cigar and to knurl it. Inasmuch as the cigar can only be gripped lightly for the step of locating it for .the operation of trimming and that of knurling, and since only a relatively small portion oi the machine cycle of operation is thus used, it is frequently necessary to perform an added knurling operation by hand, because of the light and inadequate nature of the automatic knurling. In some instances, this mode of procedure necessitates the services of an in- Spector, with the undesirable and inordinate eX- pense incidental thereto.

Under such conditions, to be explained hereinafter more at length, it is an object f the present invention to perform the same locating and knurling steps as those briy indicated above, and also to add another knurling step in which the cigar, after it has been suitably located, is gripped more rmly and while so gripped is subjected to the knurling action of the knurler, which is given a further inward knurling movement for a longer period of time.

In further explanation of the above problem, it is to be noted that in a cigar machine characterized by such a finishing unit, after the wrapped cigar has been softened in the re-roller, it is delivered by the cradle of the latter to a finishing device provided with` co-acting trimming knives and with grippers in which the cigar, thus located, has its tuck end trimmed to the required length, and its head end is smoothed by the same knurler which has first positioned the cigar axially.

To receive the cigar for trimming, the axial distance between th'e knurler and the trimmer, when not in operation, is greater than the length of the cigar, and therefore, upon delivery of the cigar into the gripper jaws, the knurler is advanced toward the cigar in such a manner as to place its head end into a predetermined axial position, and then the trimmer is moved into operating position against its tuck end.

`Since relative motion between the cigar and movement, the cigar holding jaws must be made to press only very lightly against the cigar to avoid bruising-of the wrapper, but after positioning, they should preferably grip the cigar rmly to prevent damage from the turning action of the knurler. Furthermore, for locating the cigar, the clamps should press against the cigar only lightly, while for proper knurling, this clamping pressure should be increased slightly to prevent sliding of the cig-ar under a slight additional forward movement of th'e knurler. With previous mechanisms, only a small portion of the machine cycle is available rfor the knurling operation, making it necessary to resort to an additional hand knurling to finish the cigar. lInv the present mechanism, a separate cam is used for the knurler, so that a larger portion of the cycle can be utilized for the automatic knul-ling operation, and hand knurling may be eliminated from the regular routine. It may therefore, be desirable to provide two or more separate knurling operations by withdrawing and re-advancing the knurler a number of times while the cigar is firmly held in the grippers. It is the object of the present invention to provide -a simple mechanism for performing the various motions to meet all of these diierent conditions.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in sectional elevation of a knurler operating mechanism in the construction -of which the present invention has been em bodied;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, seen from the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of a modified' form of cam.

Referring to the drawing, II is the housing frame of the rerolling and trimming unit of a cigar machine, which supports the rolling drum I2 with its cradle I3, the knurler I4, the grippers I5 and I6, and the trimmer Il. The drum I2 is mounted on an oscillating shaft 28, thecradle I3 is resiliently supported and is adjustable for `cliierent thicknesses of cigars, and the trimmer II is axially movable through a suflicient distance to clear th'e cigar while being rolled and while it enters the grippers. The mechanism for operating the rolling drum I2, the cradle I3 and the trimmer I'I are shown and described in the aforesaid copending application #189,300, filed February 8, 1938, by H. I-I. Wheeler. y

The knurler I 4, which is attached to a horizontal shaft I8 slidable in bearings of frame II, is actuated by a bell-crank lever I9 tensioned by the grippers takes place during this positioning 5s a spring' 20, the lever I9 carrying a roller. 2l,

the knurler, which in position I4 (Fig. 2) contacts the cigar C and moves the same into the predetermined dotted position C which is reached when the depressed portion 32 of the cam arrives under the roller 21.V The latter remains on this cam portion while the trimmer is being moved from its inactive position I1 into its operating position I1 and while it is actuated to' cut the cigar, whereupon the roller 21 runs off the cam portion 32 onto the portion 35, permitting the spring to pull the lever ISKagainst a stop 33 (Fig. 2). 'Ihe stop is so adjusted that the knurlerY is held by the spring against the head of the tightly-gripped cigar with just th'e proper pressure for perfect knurling. The rotation of the knurler is produced by means shown in the copending application heretofore referred to. After completion of the knurlingfoperation, the roller 21 ascends at 34 (Fig. 1) to the high portion 29 of the cam. 1f repeated knurling is desired, the low cam surface may besubdivided by a hump or humps 35a as illustrated in Fig. 3, intoy two or more spaced surfaces, so that the knurler is temporarily withdrawn from the cigar while the roller 21 engages with any of these humps.

The lower grippers I5 are xedly mounted on a shaft 36 supported in bearings on frame II and having an arm 31 connected by a link 38 to a cam lever 39 on shaft 26. The arm 31 is pulled y by a spring 40 againstan adjustable stop 4I which holds the grippers I5 in the proper position to receive the cigar from the Vcradle I3. The cam lever 39 carries a roller 42 following the periphery of a cam 43 mounted on the cam shaft Y 3l!A and having a hump 44. When the knurling operation controlledby cam 29 is completed, the hump 44 of cam 43 is designed to be engaged with roller 42, thereby lifting the arm 31 from the stop 4I and causing Vthe gripper I5 to descend below the surface of the cradle I3 through openings 45 in the latter, thus discharging the finished cigar down the tail of the cradle.

The upper gripper I6 is loose on shaft 46 which hasa crank arm 41 connected by a link 48 to a cam lever 49 on shaft 26.v At one side ofgripper I6 is xedly mounted a collar 56 to which is attached a post l5I- carrying a spring 52 anchored to a bracketY 53 extending from the hub of gripper I6. At the other side of gripper I6, an arm 54 aixed to shaft 46Y has a horizontal pin 55 extending into a space between the shank of gripper I6 and limit screw 56 carried by a projection 51 of the gripper hub. The lever 46 carries a cam-follower roller 58 held by a spring 59against arcani. 66 on shaft 36. As long as roller 58 engages the high portions 66 and 6I of cam 60, the weak spring 52 holds the gripper I6 against the pin on arm 54 or against the cigar after the gripper has come down on it and has been lifted from the descending pin 55 by it, thus causing the gripperto exert only a light pressure onthecigar during the positioning stroke of the knurler I4. But, when the low portion 6 2 of cam 60 reaches the roller 58 after the positioning step,

the pin 55 engages the stop 56 and both springs 52 and 59 act upon the gripper I6, resulting in a strong gripping pressure during the ensuing knurling period, after which the incline 63 restores the roller 58 to the high position on cam 66, thereby lifting the gripper I6 from the cigar, ready to receive a new cigar' after the completed cigar has been discharged by the recession of ti e lower gripper.

What is claimed is:

1. The novel method of fabricating a cigar which comprises the steps of softening and shaping a wrapped cigar by rolling the same, then transferring the wrapped and rolled cigar to a trimming position in a finishing device, trimming *the tuck end of the cigar by a trimimng means,

maintaining said trimming means in trimmed position after the trimming operation to serve as an abutment for the trimmed end of the cigar, then advancing knurling means against the head end'of the cigar a plurality of times while gripping the body of the cigar against turning thereofby the knurling means and discharging the cigar so rolled, trimmed and knurled.

2. In a cigar machine, the combination with a re-rolling device and a cigar holding concave constructed and arranged to cooperate therewith, of means disposed adjacent to the discharge end of said concave to receive said cigars serially and to apply a light gripping force to hold a cigar lightly whereby the cigar may be moved axially without damage thereto, a knurling means adapted to engage said cigar and moveYit-axially to a predetermined position while applying to the head end a knurling force, said cigar holding means subsequently applying a rm gripping pressure to hold the cigar firmly in said position, said knurling means being adapted to move an added distance in knurling engagement with said cigar end axially of the cigar.

3. In a cigar machine, the combination with cigar supporting devices, including grippers for yieldingly engaging cigars fed thereto, of a lc- 'cator means for locating cigars on said devices, means for moving said locator means to engage a cigar and position it in said grippers, means acting substantially coincidently therewith to operate said grippers to grip a` cigary lightly while it is being located, and acting subsequently thereto for causing said gripper to firmly grip said cigar, trimming means for trimming each cigar vto size while it is iirmly gripped on said device, said locator means acting to move an radded distance axially against said cigar end, 'while so held.y A j 4. Ina cigar'machine, the combinationwith a re-rolling mechanism, and a cigar supporting concave cooperatingtherewith, lof cigar supporting members located adjacent to said mechanism and arranged to receive cigars fed therefrom, means; Vfor locating cigars on said supports, means `for lightly holding' cigars tin saidmembers while their ends `are being located, means for trimming an end of a cigar located on' said supports, said cigar holding means Aacting to 'hold iirmlyjeachy cigar during the operation of said trimming means, and said locating means applying knurling pressure to the head end of said cigar while the cut end abuts against the trimmer.

' 5.` I n a cigar machine, the combination with cigar supporting devices, of a knurler arranged adjacent-to said devices, means for moving said knurler to locate veach cigar axially on saiddevices and `to knurl the'head vend of said cigar lightly, means for holding said cigar lightly in said devices during said initial operation of said knurler while the cigar is moved to its axially located position, said cigar holding means acting subsequently for firmly gripping said cigar, and said knurler moving means applying added pressure to the knurler whereby it is advanced to complete a rmer knurling operation.

6. A knurler mechanism of the class described, having the features claimed in claim 5, in which spring devices are provided for actuating the several holding means and said knurler, and cam mechanism is provided to govern and synchronize the tensioned operations of said spring-activated holders and knurler respectively.

7. In a cigar machine, the combination with relatively movable cigar supports, and means for feeding cigars thereto serially, of means for moving said supports to and from each other to grip each cigar, said last-named means including a spring for effecting a light gripping action on a cigar positioned in said support for a part of the gripping operation, and for causing a firmer gripping force to be applied to said cigar for the remainder of said gripping operation, and cam means by which the co-operating mechanisms are synchronized through the several phases of their co-operative movements.

8. In a cigar machine of the class described, having a knurler device, relatively movable cigar supports, means for feeding cigars thereto, and mechanism for moving said supports to and from each other to grip cigars, said mechanism including a first spring for applying to one of said supports a tension of predetermined value adapted to cause said support to approach to- Ward the other, to embrace a cigar positioned in said supports with a variable gripping action, a second spring tensioned suitably for causing said knurler to apply pressure of a predetermined value to the end of the cigar for locating the same in said supports and for knurling, a cam shaft, and a set of cams thereon adapted for controlling the gripping of said supports, and for controlling their action to apply light gripping pressure during locating movement of the knurler, and also to advance the knurler a short distance While the cigar is more rmly gripped. 9. In a cigar machine having mechanism for performing a nishing operation, such as rerolling, upon a partly finished cigar, means to transfer said cigar to a knurling station and means to perform a plurality of knurling operations successively upon said cigar at said station, and at least one of said successive knurling operations being performed during a machine cycle subsequent to that in which said rerolling operation is performed.

SIGURD CLAUSEN. 

